Chicken & leek pie

Chicken & leek pie

This has to be the best comfort food yet and it's perfect for entertaining

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in under 3 hours, plus chilling

Method

  1. Put the chicken into a deep pan that is just large enough to hold it quite snugly. Pour in enough water to half cover the bird, then tip in the peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, onion and celery. Add the salt and bring to the boil on the hob, then reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer for 1-11⁄4 hours until tender.
  2. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Strain 425ml/3⁄4 pint of the stock into a measuring jug (top up with water if you need to). Strip the meat off the chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a 1.7 litre/3 pint pie dish.
  3. Put the eggs in boiling water and boil for 6 minutes. Drain, cool them under cold water and remove the shells. Quarter the eggs and nestle them in the pie dish among the chicken pieces.
  4. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Add the leeks and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock a third at a time, stirring continuously and making sure the sauce is thick and smooth before adding the next batch. Stir in the mustard, crème fraîche and parsley, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper to taste. Add salt if needed. Spoon over the chicken and leave to cool.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan 200C. Reserve a quarter of the pastry for decoration and roll out the remainder to a shape about 5cm/2in larger than the top of the pie dish, then cut a 2.5cm/1in strip from all round the edge. Brush the edge of the dish with water and stick the pastry strip to it. Brush the strip with water. Flip the pastry lid over the rolling pin, lift it up and unroll over the pie. Press the edge on to the pastry strip to seal, and trim any excess with a sharp knife.
  6. Tap the blade of a small sharp knife all along the outside edge of the pastry (this helps the edge to rise during cooking), then flute it using the back of the knife. Make a hole in the lid centre with the tip of the knife, to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
  7. Roll out the pastry you put aside earlier. Cut 8 long strips each about 1cm/1⁄2in wide, and two more strips each about 4cm/11⁄2in wide. Cut the wider strips diagonally to make eight diamond leaf shapes. Mark the veins of the leaves with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush the pastry lid with beaten egg, then lay the 8 thin strips on top, as in the picture. Brush again with egg and arrange the leaves in the centre, between the strips. Brush with egg.
  8. Chill the pie for 15 mins, if you have time, to set the pastry. (Can be made a day ahead up to this point. Keep chilled and add 4-5 extra minutes at baking time.) Bake for 30 - 35 miutes until the pastry is crisp, puffed up and deep golden brown.)

Per serving

762 kcalories, protein 55g, carbohydrate 27g, fat 49 g, saturated fat 24g, fibre 2g, salt 2.78 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-37

  • Binder photo BrusselSprouts

    28 December 2009

    BrusselSprouts rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Emma

    15 October 2010

    Emma rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    The best pie we have ever had!! I used 4 chicken leg portions and cooked them in the slow cooker then stripped the meat off the bone made up the pie and left it in the fridge overnight and just popped it in the oven the following day a hit with everyone!!

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  • Binder photo merulapie

    07 December 2010

    merulapie rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very tasty. I left out the eggs and used chicken breasts. Will definitely be making it again!

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  • Binder photo Anjna

    31 January 2011

    Anjna rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I have made this pie quite a few times now. I now leave out the eggs because I don't feel they work. Using a whole chicken gives a really delicious rich stock so I would't take any shortcuts. All you do is put the chicken, etc in a big pot and leave to simmer.

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  • Binder photo redbushtea

    11 February 2011

    redbushtea rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious and so easy to do! We're going to have it again next week.

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  • Binder photo Foodie_NES

    13 February 2011

    Foodie_NES commented on this recipe

    Fantastic pie. I didn't use eggs as this didn't appeal to me, instead I just put more chicken/leek filling. I also used already seperated chicken joints instead of the whole chickem in the first step and it was still delicious. Also tastes great the next day.

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  • Binder photo lyndsey

    02 May 2011

    lyndsey rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    I thought this was average - the filling seemed to be lacking something and the eggs seemed to give a strange consistency to it.

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  • Binder photo bonbon

    25 September 2011

    bonbon rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great for left over roast chicken. Did not put the eggs in as it doesn't sound right

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  • Binder photo Jackie food

    28 September 2011

    Jackie food rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo absinthe

    11 October 2011

    absinthe rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this pie with extra crispy roast potatoes for a family gathering. My parents said "they weren't into stuff like that" when I told them what I was making but my partner convinced them to try it. It is the most beautiful pie ever (minus boiled eggs as I thought that was a bit OTT) my family liked it so much that they took the recipe and are having it for tea tonight!! It freezes beautifully (filling in a pie dish covered with clingfilm) its so easy to just take out the freezer in the morning, cover in pastry in the afternoon and wap it in the oven. Delicious!

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  • Binder photo cakeanyone?

    26 October 2011

    cakeanyone? rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was a great pie. Made with shortcrust pastry (200g flour, 100g butter, 1 egg, 2 tbsp water blitzed in processor), reduced bacon by half, 1 tbsp mustard and omitted eggs.

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  • Binder photo netty

    02 December 2011

    netty rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Heinz Girl

    08 January 2012

    Heinz Girl rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I followed the recipes exactly (minus the eggs) and it was GORGEOUS. Will be making this again. A bit fiddly so not a mid-week meal, but good for a weekend or dinner party.

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  • Binder photo Girlypie

    05 August 2012

    Girlypie rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo susan

    27 August 2012

    susan commented on this recipe

    Really easy to make and very tastey, would make again. Also I didn't add eggs not sure about those.

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  • Binder photo susan

    27 August 2012

    susan rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Isabel

    19 January 2013

    Isabel rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Using the whole chicken is fantastic - leftover stock makes brilliant soup, plus you can reboil the bones after stripping the chicken down - even more soup! Dried tarragon works brilliantly as a substitute for parsley :)

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in under 3 hours, plus chilling

Brilliant make-ahead feast

Ingredients

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Per serving

762 kcalories, protein 55g, carbohydrate 27g, fat 49 g, saturated fat 24g, fibre 2g, salt 2.78 g

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